


Love Is A Long Road (Just Like This Fic)

by Sashataakheru



Series: Two Taskmasters - Stories About A Kinky Threesome [8]
Category: Taskmaster (UK TV) RPF
Genre: Aftercare, Age Play, Alex saying yes to everything like an idiot, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Awkwardness, Bisexual Angst, Bisexuality, Biting, Bruises, Butt Plugs, Caught in the Rain, Cock Rings, Cock Worship, Cock and Ball Torture, Community: story-works, Confessions of love, Crying, Cuddling, Cups of Tea, D/s, Daddy/boi, Dates, Dirty Talk, Edging, Falling In Love, Feeding, Fingering, Fisting, Flogging, Food Kink, Friendship, Gags, Hand-feeding, Hurt/Comfort, In Public, Kindness, Kissing, Kneeling, M/M, Making Out, Marking, Masochism, Misunderstandings, Obedience, Oral Sex, Pain Kink, Pining, Polyamory, Punishment, Recovery, Restraints, Riding Crops, Romantic Gestures, Scratching, Slapping, So much angst, Spanking, Submission, Subspace, Surprises, Teasing, Temperature Play, Two Idiots Not Talking About Things, Valentine's Day, Vibrators, Walking in the Woods, Wax Play, Whipping, drawn out orgasms, floggers, harlequin big bang challenge, kinky shenanigans, pain play, ropes, showering together, surrender, tied up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 10:02:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20387917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: It's been a year since they kissed on TV and Greg confessed his love for Alex after the show. They really ought to have talked about it by now.Sequel toI Want You Now.





	Love Is A Long Road (Just Like This Fic)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Want You Now](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18143642) by [Sashataakheru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru). 

> OKAY SO this took me about two months to write woooo. XD But at least I got this idea out of my head and now I can go back to writing kinkfic bc I am behind on my seasonofkink card omg. D:
> 
> ALSO can Greg plz stop giving me six million different backstories for his sexuality I CAN'T.

"Are you sure he's coming?" Alex asked after again anxiously checking his watch for the fiftieth time that morning.  
  
Rachel made a valiant effort not to sound exasperated. "Yes, he's coming! Why are you so nervous about this anyway? He just wants to take you out for the day. Go and have a good time, alright? You can tell me all about it when you get home."  
  
"But I don't - why would he - he can't possibly be serious? We've never done - he can't - we don't do - _that_, he said we don't - it's not _like that_," Alex said, struggling to understand why Greg wanted to take him out, and not just for any reason, but for Valentine's Day.  
  
"I can't believe you two are so oblivous to each other's affections, Jesus Christ. Just kiss and become boyfriends already. He's clearly into you, and you've loved him since forever. What's the problem?" Rachel said.  
  
Alex squrimed, and not just because he'd been sitting on the stairs for fifteen minutes and it wasn't the most comfortable place to sit. Rachel was making it seem so easy, but it had been a year since-since that kiss, since that first night at Greg's, and nothing had happened. Greg hadn't made any more moves on him, and Alex still didn't know what he wanted.  
  
"You're sure it's not ... I'm not ... cheating? I don't love you any less than him, I just- I can't choose one or the other, I love you both," Alex said, voicing the other reason he'd been so hesitant to pursue anything with Greg. He knew what he felt. He was sure he was in love with both Greg and his wife. He was utterly committed to both of them. But it had never stopped him feeling anxious about it, that somehow he was being disloyal to her, in spite of all her reassurances that this wasn't the case.  
  
"I know, I know, Alex. I've never doubted your love for a moment. I trust you. Do you think I'd be encouraging you to date him if I had a serious problem with it? You've always been upfront about it. You told me you loved him as soon as you realised, and we talked through it. It's fine. _We're_ fine. That's not cheating, Alex, I promise. You've just got a heart overflowing with love. How can I be cross with you for that? Besides, he's good for you, and I think you're good for him, too. I can see it in the way he smiles at you. It's in his eyes. He's not lonely anymore," Rachel said.  
  
"But I just - he can't - he's not _meant_ to love me, that's not how this is meant to work! It-it was just - just, you know - just-" Alex couldn't bring himself to elaborate any further, not with the boys watching TV in the other room, close enough to overhear.  
  
Rachel brought an arm around his shoulder. "I know, I know, you like it when he's mean to you, I get it, but at some point, you're going to have to deal with the fact that he loves you. Trust me, he's genuine. He's not trying to screw you over this time, I promise."  
  
Alex didn't quite believe her, but in spite of his protestations, Greg wanting to romance him had not, in fact, come out of nowhere. Ever since that kiss, things had been ... different. Things had changed between them, even if Alex didn't want to acknowledge them. They had always meant to talk, after that kiss. After Greg told him he loved him. But somehow, in between everything, it never happened.  
  
And yet, Alex couldn't deny that their relationship had changed. It had escaped the confines of that dressing room the night Greg took him home to stay with him, and it hadn't gone back in again. They'd taken their sex thing, all rough and quick and hurried, and thrown it out into the world, and it had changed. That night, it had changed, as Alex had sat there, curled up on Greg's sofa in his arms.  
  
He still thought about that night, and how sweet Greg had been to him, in spite of the state he was in. Greg had ... taken care of him. Greg had been -kind to him. Alex hadn't expected Greg would be kind to him, because he was never entirely sure how close they really were. Too much time spent kneeling in dressing rooms and not enough time doing anything else outside of it, perhaps. But Greg must care about him because he took him home. Because he had been in such a mess that night, and he appreciated his concern so much. And Greg had held him gently as he fell asleep, and he was still holding him gently when he woke up, and Alex loved it - loved _him_ \- as much as he didn't understand Greg's kindness.  
  
And things had been different last series, too. There was still rough sex, because they never grew tired of that, but there was also comforting, which Alex needed, particularly given how intensely humilating that series was for Alex. He'd loved it so, so much, but he found he needed Greg to simply cuddle him afterwards and help him come down and out of subspace. Greg would just touch him gently, maybe whisper some praise to him, stroke his fingers through his hair, offer soft kisses if Alex was willing. It was what he needed to ground himself enough to go home safely, without his head all in the clouds and his dick achingly hard in his pants.  
  
And maybe... maybe Alex had stayed over again. In a more planned and less last-minute sort of way. At least three more times now! It was ... different, but Alex liked it. He liked being Greg's little boy in his flat, and slowly feeling out how to make their relationship take up a different sort of space, a bigger space, than a dressing room.  
  
That larger space had also come to include Greg taking him out. Things like, inviting him out to a show, or to meet him somewhere for lunch, or to take him down to the seaside, or maybe even just go walking together through the woods. Greg had even let Alex take him birdwatching once. They weren't necessarily meant to be implicitly romantic outings, just time spent together that wasn't work. And now...  
  
And now, there was today. Alex didn't know what Greg had planned. He'd just called up a week ago, telling him they were going out today, for Valentine's Day, and that was it. He'd told him what to pack and when he'd be picking him up, but left the rest a mystery. Alex honestly didn't know what to say to that, because he'd had no inkling at all that Greg wanted to pursue anything romantic with him. If he was being really honest, he wasn't convinced Greg was telling the truth about his feelings, and this was just another way for Greg to fuck with his heart. But Alex didn't have the courage to say any of that because Greg wasn't asking. He was giving him orders. And Alex always obeyed Greg's orders.  
  
He'd taken down his instructions like a good boy, and prepared for him, even though he didn't think he was coming. He hadn't slept well, and he was a ball of anxiety all morning, daring to hope Greg was being genuine, but more than prepared to be rejected. He was expecting this to just be some kind of awful set-up, and Greg would make him wait all day and not turn up. And if Alex dared to ask why he hadn't shown up, Greg would simply break his heart by telling him why on earth he'd want to take him out for Valentine's Day. Alex would cry himself to sleep, but at least he'd know how Greg really felt about him, one way or another.  
  
Alex checked his watch again. Pulled his phone out. Couldn't help checking for any new messages from Greg, even though he knew there weren't any. He'd texted him at 5am, like an idiot, because he was awake, and anxious, and wanted to be sure he wasn't about to be humiliated, and Greg had texted back at 6am, telling him that if he texted him one more time, he really would stand him up. Alex read that message again, and decided putting his phone away was the best option.  
  
"Honestly, the way you're fidgeting, I'll be glad to see the back of you today. He's coming, alright? Can't you just have a little faith in him for once?" Rachel said.  
  
"Sorry." Alex hung his head, embarrassed. "I'm just not expecting him to come. Why would he come? We don't do - you know. So why would he start now?"  
  
"He loves you, Alex, he really does. Can't you see it? Can't you see how much he adores you? Seriously, the sooner you two just man up and admit you love each other, the better," Rachel said.  
  
Alex blushed, looked at his watch, didn't want to think about it, if he was honest. That would mean - but they didn't - Greg wasn't - he didn't need - it was-  
  
Alex's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. He looked at the door, praying it was who he hoped it was, but knowing that probably wouldn't happen.  
  
"See? I told you he'd turn up. Now, go on, get up, go and let him take you out," Rachel said, playfully shoving him off the stairs.  
  
"Alright, alright, I'm going," Alex said, picking up his backpack as he headed for the door.  
  
He didn't get a chance to open it, because Rachel answered it instead and Alex stopped in his tracks as he saw Greg standing there, just like he said he'd be.  
  
"Greg, hi, you come to take my boy out today?" Rachel said.  
  
"Indeed I have. Has he been a nuisance this morning for you? He was texting me at 5am, you know. Impatient little shit," Greg said.  
  
Alex shied away from them but it wasn't enough to avoid a light but clearly corrective little slap on his forearm from his wife. "Sorry, I'm just - I didn't think you'd come, Greg, I'm sorry."  
  
"Honestly, the sooner he's gone, the better. He's been worse than the boys this morning, and that takes a lot of effort, trust me," Rachel said, continuing the conversation as if Alex wasn't there and hadn't said anything at all.  
  
"Oh, I believe you, don't worry about that. When do you need him back by?" Greg said.  
  
"He's got to be back by tea time, but other than that, do what you like, as long as you both come back as boyfriends by the end of the day, yeah? Stop being idiots and just talk, alright?" Rachel said.  
  
"That's part of the plan already. Don't worry, it's long overdue, we both know that. Leave it with me, alright?" Greg said.  
  
"I knew I could count on you," Rachel said. "Alex."  
  
"Yes?" Alex looked up at her, having sort of tuned out their conversation and started staring at the ground because it didn't concern him. He never felt more little, more like a child, when they were talking without him like that.  
  
"Go on, go have a good time, alright? I'll see you tonight. You'd be welcome to stay for tea if you like, Greg," Rachel said.  
  
"That sounds lovely, thank you. I'd love to stay for tea," Greg said.  
  
"Good lad. I'll see you at seven, then." Rachel turned to Alex, who was doing a bad job of hiding just how crestfallen he was that all his dinner invitations had been turned down, but hers had been accepted straight away. She patted his cheek and he honestly felt like he was 5 years old again. "Now, you be a good boy for your daddy, alright?"  
  
Alex felt a flush of embarrassment as she said that. He simply nodded, unwilling to speak, because he wasn't sure what would come out if he did so. Actually he knew exactly what he would have said, and he bit his tongue and blushed even harder at the thought that he would say 'yes, mummy' in front of Greg. He was sure he'd never recover from that. If Greg knew that, he'd never stop teasing him about it, and Alex couldn't bear the thought of it.  
  
"Good boy. Off you go, then. I'll see you later," Rachel said.  
  
Alex shouldn't have been startled by her kiss, but he was, and before he could react, she'd disappeared back inside the house, leaving him standing there with Greg, not really knowing what to do now. He hadn't actually planned what to do if Greg did actually turn up. He'd fully expected to be stood up.  
  
But Greg was here, and he was on time. And not only that, now that Alex could do nothing but focus on him, he saw that he was standing there with a single red rose in his hand, and Alex suddenly couldn't think, and not just because Greg was gently brushing his face with the petals. Was this ... actually real? Greg was really going to romance him? Alex wasn't sure he could cope with that idea. The whole point of this relationship was that Greg was forever out of reach. Surely Greg was just teasing him with a love he was never going to give him, even though it was all Alex wanted.  
  
"Bet you weren't expecting that, were you? You can give it to your wife if you want, if you feel too ashamed to accept it yourself. But we have to get going, we've got a big day ahead of us. I hope you packed everything I told you to pack," Greg said.  
  
Greg's voice shook him out of his daze. "Oh, yes, yes, I did, thank you. I - I wasn't expecting you to be-" Alex wasn't sure what word to use.  
  
"Nice?" Greg offered.  
  
"Genuine." Alex stared at his feet for a moment. "I actually didn't think you'd turn up today. I-I thought you would just... stand me up. We don't - we don't do this, you said we don't do this."  
  
"Yeah, I did, but I changed my mind," Greg said, as if that was all the explanation Alex required. "You ready to go, then?"  
  
"Yes, I'm ready," Alex said.  
  
"And yet, I sense hesitation in your voice. What's wrong? You changed your mind now that she's not here?" Greg said.  
  
"N-no, I - it's not that. But I've asked you over for tea loads of times, and you've always said no. Why are you saying yes now?" Alex said, needing to get that off his chest.  
  
Greg replied with the most patronising voice he could come up with as he pinched and slapped his cheek like an absolute dick. "I said yes, little Alex Horne, because I was invited over by a grown-up. And you, my little friend, are not a grown-up."  
  
Alex went to protest, but all the words he wanted to use deserted him and he just ended up glaring sadly at him as he tried to resist the truth of those words. Greg was far too good at this. "I'm sorry, daddy," was all he ended up saying.  
  
"So you should be. Are you going to be like this all day? Because if you are, you can forget about us being boyfriends," Greg said. He was already looking irritated with him and they'd barely been together ten minutes.  
  
"No, I'm not, I mean, I'm not trying to-" Alex had never felt so conflicted in his life, and his face showed it. "I'm sorry, I honestly didn't think I'd see you today, I don't really know what you want from me? You never like making me happy. Why are you starting now? I don't understand. I don't know why you're being like this."  
  
"I love you, you fool. What more do you need to know? My feelings haven't changed, Alex. I'm just waiting for you to catch up," Greg said.  
  
"Oh. Really? Oh. Oh, no, I'm so sorry." Alex looked away, embarrassed. He didn't realise Greg had just been waiting for him to respond. How was he supposed to know? Greg hadn't said anything!  
  
"What are you sorry for now? Trying to get me to punish you again?" Greg said.  
  
"No, no, definitely not. Just-" Alex inhaled sharply, unsure what to say. "I didn't know you were waiting for me to - say something? I-I thought _you_ were going to bring it up! But you never did so I just assumed you were just lying, that it wasn't real. I ... thought you were just going to reject me again."  
  
"Come on, Alex, I wouldn't do that to you-"   
  
"Yes, you would! You like being mean to me! You always throw my love back in my face!" Alex countered.  
  
Greg had to laugh at that. "Alright, maybe I would. But that's just for the show because it makes it better, it's not what I'm doing right now. I wouldn't toy with your feelings like that, not like this. Besides, you said you needed some space to think about everything, so I figured you weren't ready for that conversation yet. I was waiting for you to say something, then I'd bring it up. But I didn't want my silence to mean I wasn't interested anymore. I should've said something. Maybe organising a Valentine's thing is a bit much too, but I wanted to show you I'm genuine. I just thought you needed to see that, cos yeah, I can see why you'd think I was simply setting you up for rejection, and I'm not."  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm ruining this for you, aren't I? I'm sorry, I just - I'm so used to the meanness. I just don't know what to do with your kindness?" Alex said.  
  
Greg reached out and took his hands then. "Just roll with it, Alex. Come on, let me show you a good time, yeah? I promise, you'll know I love you by the end of the day. Besides, you _do_ want to be my boyfriend, right?"  
  
Before Alex could answer, Greg leaned down and gave him a quick kiss, and Alex froze, because surely he must be serious if he's willing to risk being seen kissing him like this in public? _In front of his house?_ Where they could definitely be seen if anyone bothered to look?  
  
"Sorry, I just wanted to kiss you. You're alright with that, yeah? I kinda noticed you flinched, that's all," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, no, I'm fine with that, I just wasn't expecting it, that's all. We can go now if you like, it's fine," Alex said, trying to hide how flustered he was. "Thank you for this. Are you really giving me a rose?"  
  
Greg just smiled at him as he offered him the rose. "Of course, I am. You can keep it if you like."  
  
Alex took it, smiling up at him. "Oh. It's lovely. Can I really keep it? I'd love to keep it. Thank you, Greg. No one's ever given me a rose before. It's beautiful."  
  
"Just like you, my little friend," Greg said, his voice warm and full of love.  
  
Alex hardly believed what he was hearing. "Really? You think I'm beautiful?"  
  
"I do, Alex, I do. Love suits you, you know? It just radiates off you. Fuck, it's beautiful. It does beautiful things to you," Greg said.  
  
Alex made an embarrassing noise. He was sure he was glowing at that point. It was such a silly little gesture, but for some reason, it suddenly meant the world to him. There was a small part of him that had always wanted to be romanced, rather than doing the romancing. That had always been his role. His job. As a man, he was meant to do the wooing, the romancing, the proposing. And he really didn't mind, because he liked making his wife happy, and he liked making Greg happy too. He just never expected Greg to reciprocate. Because he didn't want to think about what that meant. That would mean confronting the fact that Greg really did love him, and Alex wasn't ready for that, even though he knew he loved him with his whole heart. Alex's love had all been based on it never being reciprocated. That wasn't how this was meant to be. Greg wasn't meant to love him back. But for some reason, he did, and Alex still didn't know what to do with that.  
  
"You're really being serious about today, aren't you? This isn't just a-a ruse? You really want to - take me out? As-as your partner? On a _date_?" Alex said.  
  
Greg gently stroked his cheek with the back of his fingers. "Yeah, I do."  
  
"What changed your mind?" Alex said, trying to understand.  
  
"You did. Come on, time to go, my love," Greg said.  
  
Alex felt a flood of excitement through his body. He felt like a teenager again, experiencing love for the first time. It was thrilling. He took Greg's offered hand as he walked him to the car, his other hand clutching that rose close to his chest like it was the most precious thing he'd ever been given.  
  
"So, where are we going then?" Alex said.  
  
Greg threw him the keys, which Alex managed to catch. "Drive me to your favourite walking spot around here. I thought we'd drink in some nature for a while before we head off into town."  
  
"Y-you want to go walking with me? Really?" Alex said.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, maybe just an amble, just to pass some time, but why not? It's a nice morning for it, innit?" Greg said.  
  
Alex wasn't entirely sure about that. It was cold and still a little dark, but at least the sun was rising. At least he was used to seeing this time of day. He wasn't sure about Greg though. He seemed far too chipper. But his reservations were dismissed entirely by how happy he was at the thought of just spending the day with him, as lovers. He'd never dared to dream about this ever actually happening. He didn't really know what Greg would be like as a romantic partner, but he was excited to find out.  
  
"I guess so? I don't think I've had enough tea for this just yet though. Why are you here so early?" Alex said.  
  
"Didn't want to waste the day, did I? When was the last time we spent a whole day together anyway? And I mean, not for work, just hanging out?" Greg said.  
  
Alex frowned, thinking. "I think that might have been before Christmas."  
  
"Well, there you go. It's been too long. Go on, we can just sit in the car if you're too cold for a walk, but let's get out of here," Greg said.  
  
"Alright. And you're sure you want me to drive your car? We can just take mine, it's no problem," Alex said.  
  
"You know where you want to go, and I want you to take me there. Let's not add in a return trip here just to swap cars. We haven't got time for that," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, well, alright then," Alex said.  
  


* * *

  
It felt strange driving Greg's car. It felt strange simply driving him, like a chauffeur. Strange, in a way that felt so right, but also very weird because Greg was sitting next to him, not in the back. Greg made small talk, asking about his family, asking about his week, making conversation while they drove. Alex thought things looked different in Greg's car, too. He'd driven this route so many times he was sure he could do it in his sleep, but somehow, things looked different. But it wasn't a long enough drive for him to contemplate that for too long, and when they arrived, Alex parked and they just sat there together, gazing out at the trees in front of them.  
  
"This is it, hey?" Greg said. "Your favourite spot?"  
  
Alex nodded. "Yes, it is. It's a nice walk. Lots of lovely trees. Plenty of birds, too. We might be early enough to see some good ones."  
  
"Do you want to go for a walk then?" Greg said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I do. I haven't had time for a decent walk in here for a few weeks now. I want to see how it's changing," Alex said. "How long have we got here, anyway? I don't want to start off on a long walk if you've made plans for today."  
  
"Maybe an hour or so. I mean, I haven't booked anything until lunchtime, so we've got a while before we need to head into town. I just thought it'd made a nice start to just walk through the woods for a while. You don't get silence like this in London. You're never really alone there, you know?" Greg said.  
  
"Hmm, yeah, I know what you mean," Alex said. Sure, there might be other people walking this morning, or birdwatching, or just being outside, but nowhere near the scale of how it might be in London. Alex felt safer being with Greg here than he did in the city, particularly if there was any chance Greg might want to kiss him, and Alex hoped that might happen. They probably wouldn't be seen here.  
  
"Come on, you look like you need to warm up, and if a walk won't do it, you'll have to sit here and cuddle me instead," Greg said, gently patting his thigh.  
  
Alex wouldn't have minded cuddling, if he was honest, but he did concede Greg's point. They got out and Alex led the way, wondering what might happen while they were alone in the woods together.  
  


* * *

  
It didn't take long for Alex to enjoy the walk, and not just because once they found the trail, Greg simply took his hand in his, and they walked side by side, in no hurry at all, just enjoying the early morning. It forced Alex to slow down, if he was honest. Sometimes, when he walked here on his own, he went too fast. He rushed. He was too impatient. He was there to walk, not to take in the woods themselves. But Greg was forcing him to slow down, and Alex honestly appreciated it. He needed it. He breathed in the cool air and it calmed him down.  
  
They talked about inconsequential things. Filling the silence every now and then, rather than attempting to have any kind of serious conversation. It wasn't the time for that. Instead, Alex compulsively made note of all the birds he saw or heard, hoping he was right, or pointed out his favourite trees as they passed them, perhaps stopping to touch the trunks and say hello.  
  
This wasn't the first time they'd gone walking together, but it was the first time Greg had been here, in this place - Alex's place - and he felt he should introduce him to the woods properly, particularly if there was any chance they might end up walking here more often. It was a silly thing, perhaps, but Greg didn't tease him about it. He touched the trunks and said hello as well, and Alex quietly adored him for it.  
  
It was ... comforting, being out here with him. Alex had never felt so comfortable with him before. It felt like they'd finally worn each other in and finally fit together perfectly. That was a strange thing to realise, but a good thing, too. Perhaps they were closer than Alex thought they were. Did that mean Greg genuinely liked him now? As a person? And not just as someone he worked with? Were they... were they friends now? Perhaps they were.  
  
Perhaps that was the moment Greg brought his arm around Alex's shoulder and brought him close, and Alex simply drew close to him like a magnet, holding him back, as they ambled onwards. Greg pressed a soft kiss to his temple and Alex shivered.  
  


* * *

  
It rained. Of course it rained. The only thing stopping them getting soaking wet was stumbling across a small hide overlooking a small lake. It was already wet, but being inside was nowhere near as bad as being out in the rain. It was small and cramped with nothing but damp uncomfortable stools to sit on, but better than nothing. Alex didn't realise he was shivering until he felt Greg hold him tight from behind and begin to rub his arms, trying to warm him up.  
  
"You'll be alright. You just cuddle up to me. I'll keep you warm," Greg said, bringing him into a tight hug.  
  
Alex leaned against him, grateful. "Thank you, Greg. I really should have brought my other coat."  
  
"Never mind. You've got me instead. How long do you think till the rain passes anyway? It's not like we've got a short walk back," Greg said.  
  
Alex just shrugged helplessly against him. "Could be ages. Who knows? I guess we'll just have to hide here together, won't we?"  
  
Greg turned him around then and sat him on his knee as he brought him into a gentle kiss. Alex was a little startled before he settled into it, surrendering to the kiss. He'd have to get used to that, to Greg kissing him as his lover. Even just thinking of Greg as his lover - his lover! - sent a thrill down his spine. He was so excited he was sure he was about to burst.  
  
"Now, before you go getting any ideas, you're going to save yourself for me for later, you hear? Trust me, it'll be much better after I've made you wait all day to get your hands on me," Greg growled in his ear.  
  
Alex shivered, both from the cold, and from his voice. He hadn't even been contemplating making out in the hide, but now it was all he could think of. Greg slipping his hand up inside his shirt to touch his cold, wet skin also did not in any way help.  
  
"Oh, no, you're going to tease me all day, aren't you?" Alex said, looking forward to it as much as he was dreading it.  
  
Greg chuckled as he pinched one of Alex's nipples. "Fuck yeah, and you'll behave yourself like a very good little boy, won't you?"  
  
Alex nodded, though the pain was going straight to his dick. "S-stop, please, don't - don't get me excited too soon."  
  
Greg responded by pinching him harder and then letting his hand wander all over his bare skin. "Fuck, you're gorgeous."  
  
Alex pulled away a little and looked at him, shocked by his words. "You think I'm gorgeous? Really? But you've - you never call me - I-I never - but you don't - _oh_-"  
  
Greg ran his hand down Alex's thigh, interrupting Alex's stammering, and Alex gasped, bucked a little, wanting more than he knew Greg was going to give him in this moment. "Yeah, you are. I know I put you down a lot on the show, but I don't mean it, not really. I'd be a real shit if I really did hate you, but I don't. I really don't hate you, Alex."  
  
Alex didn't really know what to do with that, and not just because Greg had pulled him close so he could gently nip at the skin on his neck, and Greg's hunger for him made him shiver. Alex was straddling him now, leaning against Greg like a tired child in the arms of his father.  
  
"I don't hate you, Alex, I never did. I love you. I fought it for so long, for every stupid reason you can think of, but I don't want to fight it anymore. Maybe I'll never say it on the show, because that'd ruin everything, and you'd hate not being able to pine after me, but know it's true, Alex. I'm not winding you up, I promise," Greg said.  
  
Alex wasn't sure he could deal with how serious Greg was being. He never imagined he would ever hear Greg say that he loved him and not then follow it up with some sort of cutting remark designed to humiliate him as he threw his love back in his face. But that's not what this was, and Alex didn't know what to do. He'd wanted this for so long, but surely Greg was still winding him up. There's no way this was all real.  
  
Greg brought him into a soft kiss then, and Alex closed his eyes and couldn't think, not when Greg's hands started slipping up his shirt and teasing his skin. Greg's hands were cold, and it made Alex shiver, particularly because all Greg seemed to want to do was sit there and kiss him, and gently tease him with his hands. Alex wasn't used to Greg being gentle, but he still adored the attention.  
  
Alex ached when Greg pulled away from him. He searched Greg's face for any hint that he was about to be broken up with, but all he saw was Greg smiling at him, and his eyes seemed to be full of affection. If he was lying, he was covering it up very well.  
  
"Hand me your bag, I think you need a tea, don't you? You're shivering, Alex. I need to warm you up," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, right, yes, thank you, Greg," Alex said as he handed his bag over. "Do you want me to...?" He gestured vaguely, unsure where to go.  
  
"You can take a seat beside me, sure, if you want. I wouldn't want you getting it all over you. At least most of the wind is staying out there," Greg said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, it is," Alex said as he shifted onto a seat beside him. Being apart from him sapped all the warmth from his body and he shivered again, wishing he was back at home, rather than out here in the rain. He watched in silence as Greg took out the thermos and poured him a steaming mug of tea. Alex took it gratefully, letting it warm his hands as he stared ahead at the wall, wondering when the weather might ease off enough for them to get back.  
  
Alex hadn't expected Greg to pull out the picnic rug and wrap it around Alex's shoulders though. Sure, bringing it had been a tad optimistic, but perhaps, given their current circumstances, it had been a very wise decision. Alex hugged it close to him, beginning to feel a little less cold. The plastic backing was doing a stirling job of keeping the wind out, and he appreciated it.  
  
"There you go, that oughta help," Greg said.  
  
"Thank you, Greg," Alex said. He wished he could sit closer to him, but that's not what the hide had been built for. The rug would have to do.  
  
"We'll head off soon, and maybe we'll head back to yours to get dry before we head into London, yeah?" Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded. "That would be nice, thank you, Greg."  
  
They sat in silence for a while, drinking their tea, slowly warming up. Sure, Alex was still wet, but at least he was feeling warmer and had mostly stopped shivering after a second cup of tea. He glanced over at Greg, who seemed to be staring off into the distance. He wondered what he was thinking about. Alex wanted to ask, just out of curiosity, but something told him Greg wasn't in the mood to be interrupted. He'd speak if he wanted to. Until then, there was just silence.  
  
Alex turned back to his tea, letting the silence settle. It wasn't proper silence, though. There was still the soft sound of rain hitting the lake, the dripping water off the hide, the wind swirling through the woods, the birds both singing and panicking as it started to pour down heavily again. Not proper silence. But quiet silence. One of those moments where everything just happened, but the world wasn't really moving. The kind of quiet, contemplative silence for drinking tea that brought with it the soft, lingering scent of cigarettes or the smoke from a wood fire. They should really have whisky, Alex thought, idly, it seemed like that kind of moment, but all they had was tea.  
  
It was the kind of silence Alex really only found out here, alone - sort of - in the woods, away from everything else. All it did was make Alex think. He was good at overthinking things. At least his shivering would hide his nerves and the fear in the pit of his stomach that he was just going to be rejected at the end of the day. That he shouldn't get his hopes up. If he prepared for the worst and it didn't happen, the relief would feel a lot better. At least, that's what he told himself.  
  
He knew, too, that Greg was waiting for him to start that conversation. To be ready to face the prospect of Greg being in love with him. Alex wanted to run far away from it as much as he wanted to embrace it, and his indecision still plagued him even now. If he never started that conversation, things wouldn't change. It'd be like Schrodinger's cat, except their relationship would be either a sex thing, or they'd be in love, and no one would know until they opened the box.  
  
But they had opened the box. They'd opened the box a year a go, and Alex had spent so long refusing to believe that had happened. Really, he was scared. He was scared of loving Greg too much to the point where it ruined everything. This relationship would get way out of hand because they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other, and there'd probably be some kind of scandal because of course there would be, why wouldn't there be? He'd probably lose the show, and Greg, and he'd hate himself for the rest of his life for messing it up so badly.  
  
After a while, Greg reached over and held his hand, just gently, his thumb softly stroking his skin. Alex looked up at him, not sure what to say.  
  
"Do you know how old I was when I last let myself fall in love with another boy?" Greg said, his voice quiet, as if afraid of being overheard.  
  
Alex shook his head, didn't know where this was going, hadn't ever seen Greg like this before. He seemed ... vulnerable, unsure of himself, almost afraid, but putting on a brave face. He didn't like the fear he could hear in his voice, because he had a feeling he knew why it was there.  
  
"I was thirteen years old. I don't need to tell you what happened. I'm sure you can imagine. You had to hide too, didn't you?" Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded weakly. He understood, or thought he did, and Greg seemed to want him to agree, to confirm that this was some kind of shared experience, even if it wasn't. Greg didn't really talk about this kind of stuff - his sexuality, his _queerness_ \- at all and Alex was too polite to ask. He didn't think it was any of his business, and it wasn't like it was really important to their relationship that he needed to know anyway.  
  
Sure, Greg knew that Alex was bisexual, that went without saying. Alex wasn't shy about telling him that. What he hadn't told him was that he didn't actually realise liking boys as well as girls was even an option, and that you didn't have to just pick one, until he got to university, when Tim Key crashed into his life and never left. It had never been a secret for him, not even from Rachel. It was more a revelation than anything. But he sort of knew what Greg meant. Being oblivious still counted as hiding, right?  
  
"Yeah, of course you did. We all did." Greg sighed. It was a heavy sigh, one that said perhaps more than Greg might have wanted. Alex said nothing. "I'm fifty years old. I shouldn't find this as hard as I do. I do love you, Alex, I do. I just-"  
  
Alex almost said something, but got the feeling Greg didn't want to be interrupted. It wasn't that kind of pause. It hadn't occurred to him that Greg would find this conversation difficult as well, and that perhaps they'd both been avoiding it because they didn't want to disturb old wounds. They'd both decided sex was easier to cope with, and perhaps that was because falling in love hurt too much. It was too scary. But Greg had sounded so confident about it when he'd brought it up a year ago. What had changed to make him sound so unsure of himself?  
  
"Sorry, Alex, I didn't think today would just bring it all back. Here I am, trying to romance you, and I'm sitting here, trying not to cry instead because I have all this awful shit in my head telling me this is wrong, even though I know it's all bullshit. I'm meant to be the brave one here, not you! Jesus Christ," Greg said, holding his head in his hands.  
  
Alex turned to him and pulled him into a hug, hoping it might help. It was a bit of an awkward position, but Alex didn't care when he felt Greg hold him tight.  
  
"I'm so sorry, sir. I wish I could make your heart feel better," Alex said, knowing that was the one thing he couldn't fix.  
  
"Oh, you're such a sweet boy, Alex, thank you," Greg murmured. "I'm sorry, I wanted this to be perfect, I really did. Now we're all wet and cold and I'm bringing out all my bitterness instead."  
  
"I don't care about it being perfect. I just care about you. Well, you and my family, but you know what I mean," Alex said.  
  
Greg pulled away a little, and brushed his fingers against Alex's cheek. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I still love you, though. God knows why, but I do. You're just so fucking beautiful. Get on your knees for me, boy. I love it when you kneel for me."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Alex knelt down in front of him, being careful not to bump his head, not caring about how dirty and wet his trousers were going to get. He simply knelt for him, resting his hands softly on his thighs, gazing up at him. Greg stroked his hair, smiled, and Alex felt like this was how this conversation should always have been done. This was what he understood. This is how he liked Greg to be.  
  
"Better. Just where I like you. Of course we'll have to go back to yours to change. I'm not taking a dirty boy into a nice restaurant for lunch," Greg said.  
  
"No, sir, of course not. I'm sorry I'm so dirty," Alex said. He was calmed by Greg's more confident demeanour, feeling like this was the only dynamic that really worked for them. They weren't equals, they were master and servant, Dom and sub, Daddy and boy. They couldn't talk as equals, they could only talk like this. Maybe that's what Alex should have done from the start, but that was easy to say now.  
  
"If it wasn't so wet and cold, I'd spank you for that. But don't worry, you'll get your due when I take you home with me later on," Greg said.  
  
Alex shivered in anticipation. "Yes, sir, thank you, sir."  
  
"Hmm, you're such a good boy for me, aren't you? I never thought I could love another boy, and to love someone's submission as much as I love them, until I met you. I know this was just meant to be sex, but you chose me for a reason, and maybe that still amazes me. You loved me right from the beginning, without even knowing me and all my awful flaws, and you're still fucking here, and maybe some days I don't believe it's going to last, and then you do something to surprise me and I fall in love with you all over again. I feel like this is the longest relationship I've ever had, and I never want it to stop," Greg said.  
  
Alex didn't know what to say to that. He didn't realise that's how Greg felt about their relationship, he'd never heard him talk about it like that before, and it calmed him as much as it scared him. He didn't want this to end, either. It was strange to think about how long it had really been, even if the amount of time they'd actually spent together outside of doing the show might hardly had tallied up into a month or two, if they were being extremely generous.  
  
"You don't have to love me, Greg. I don't need you to love me. This - it's fine how it is. It can just be a sex thing. That's fine with me," Alex said quietly.  
  
"I mean, yeah, we could do that, but it's not just a sex thing, is it? At least, not anymore, it's not. You don't want that and neither do I. Don't pretend you're not in love with me, Alex. I know you are. What are you afraid of? What stops you giving yourself to me completely, like I know you long to do?" Greg said.  
  
Alex stared at the ground, suddenly feeling small. He fell back on his heels. There was a lot going through his head. So many things he should say, that he ought to say, but everything was getting stuck in his throat. "It... it's not my place, sir."  
  
"Don't start with that bullshit, boy. I love you _because_ of your submission, Alex, not in spite of it. For fuck's sake, your wife Dommes the fuck out of you and you fucking adore her. How do you not understand how this - us - can be just like that too?" Greg said.  
  
"I do understand, sir, I do, it's just-" Alex paused, couldn't find the words he needed, panicked instead. "I'm scared you won't love me when the show's over. That you'll simply leave me once you no longer need me and I'll be on my own again, and I don't think I could stand that," Alex said, the words not ones he had planned to say, at least not in this moment, but unwilling to stop them now. "You've said that before. In interviews. You said you'd leave me once it was all over. How can I believe you love me when you say things like that? And-and that was after the kiss, sir! Can't you understand why I don't believe you?"  
  
"Fucking hell, Alex. And you believed that, did you? I mean, obviously our relationship would change if we weren't doing the show anymore, that goes without saying, but I wasn't trying to hurt you. That was all in character. Is there something in your tiny mind that can't separate that out from real life or something? What's wrong with you?" Greg said, sounding slightly exasperated.  
  
Alex stared resolutely at the ground, getting the distinct impression that Greg was growing tired of him. He wasn't good enough for him. Greg deserved someone a lot better than him. "Oh, nothing, but no, I mean, why would you say that if you didn't mean it?"  
  
"Oh, I didn't say that, just that I wasn't trying to hurt you. Look, if you're going to sit here accusing me of getting too carried away in character, then look in a fucking mirror, my little friend. This is as much your doing, perhaps more, than it is mine. This was all your fucking idea. You brought me into this kinky little world of yours. And sure, I'm a very willing participant, but seriously, don't you _dare_ accuse me of getting too carried away, not when you do it a lot more than I do, yeah? You wrote a _whole fucking book_ in character, Alex. And yes, I did read it, you little shit, and I've got some very painful punishments lined up for you for later on, when the time's right. That's what you want, isn't it? You put those things in there because you _want_ me to punish you, because you're a dirty little pain slut. You just love it when I hurt you, and I'm going to hurt you so bad, Alex, just you wait," Greg said.  
  
Alex shivered, his body already aching in anticipation. There was a part of him that had never imagined Greg would ever want to read the Taskmaster book, because that was Alex's thing. Alex did all the legwork. In some ways, sure, Alex was getting all the attention and praise for it that he rightly deserved, but it also played into the idea that Alex just did things for Greg anyway, on his behalf, so it all sort of worked out one way or another. But he'd never imagined Greg would read it. And now he felt awful, because he'd thought he'd get away with those little things he'd put in there without being punished, because he never imagined Greg would ever see them to begin with!, and now he knew that was absolutely not going to be the case.  
  
In the small space, Alex curled over and bowed at his feet, his hands resting on his master's shoes, whispering his apologies. He always got like this when Greg got cross with him. He couldn't help it. "In character" for Alex was an extremely vague concept for him because so much of his character on Taskmaster was just a more extreme version of who he actually was. He couldn't just stop being himself, could he? And just being with Greg like this brought out subspace in him far too quickly, because five years and a lot of kneeling at his feet had just conditioned him to react like that now.  
  
Greg sighed, grabbed Alex's arm, and pulled him back up so he was sitting up. Greg made a point of lifting his chin so Alex was looking up at him. "No, Alex, just fucking stop that, please. Now's not the time."   
  
"I'm so sorry, sir," Alex murmured, trying to avert his eyes, but Greg was still gripping his chin tightly.  
  
"What did I just say, Alex? Jesus Christ, I'm trying to talk to you like an adult and you're behaving like a child. What's wrong with you? Don't you know how to switch off?" Greg said, his irritation turning into shock as he watched Alex's face reacting to his question. "Oh, God, you really don't know how to switch off, do you? Fucking hell."  
  
Alex hung his head, now that Greg had let go of him, and felt like such a failure. "No, sir. I just - but I'm just being me. How do I not be me?"  
  
"That's what acting is, Alex. It's being someone else. How do you not know this stuff? You've done theatre before, I know you have, this shouldn't be a fucking revelation. What the fuck's wrong with you?" Greg said, sounding possibly more irritated than Alex was expecting.  
  
"I don't - I'm - but this is just _me_, sir, it's all me. This who I am. How can I just ... not be me? How do you stop being yourself? I don't understand. I'm just - not very good at acting. I'm not being someone else, this is just who I am," Alex said.  
  
Greg sighed. It was one of those heavy, weary sighs Alex recognised that signalled how frustrated Greg was getting with him. Alex wanted to apologise again, because he'd definitely ruined their day, but he'd already been told off for that once. He didn't want to push his luck.  
  
Alex sunk down into himself, convinced that he was about to have his heart broken. What else could Greg possibly want to say to him now? He was going to leave him and there was nothing Alex could do about that. Best-best not to fall in love then, so it didn't hurt when Greg inevitably kicked him out and left him behind.  
  
"I'm so sorry, daddy, I'll-I'll just go, I'm too much trouble for you," Alex said, fighting off the urge to cry.  
  
The hide was feeling stifling, and he felt he knew how Greg really felt about him. He needed to go, to walk in the rain if he had to, just so he could walk off his sadness before he went home. Greg didn't even try to stop him as he got up and left, glad that it was actually raining so Greg wouldn't see his tears.  
  
Alex heard Greg call after him.  
  
Alex ran instead.  
  


* * *

  
Alex was glad he knew these woods as well as he did. He soon found the trail again and followed it, peering back over his shoulder every now and then, just to see if Greg was following him. He knew where he was, at least. He'd soon be back in the carpark and then he could start walking home, prepared to cut his losses and hating himself for even bothering to get his hopes up. Of course Greg didn't love him. Why would Greg love him? Alex was just convenient until Greg grew tired of him. Then he'd leave him and he'd have to find something else to do. But he didn't want to do anything else, and he didn't want to do it with anyone else, either. The very thought of doing Taskmaster with someone other than Greg didn't bear thinking about. There was no one else but Greg who could sit in that throne. Alex would bow to no one else but Greg.  
  
But he didn't quite get to the carpark. He didn't get very far at all before the rain started coming down in sheets and all Alex could do was run to find some kind of shelter, heading back to follow the lake's edge to where he thought another hide might be that he half-remembered. But he didn't find a hide. All he found was a small octagonal gazebo, with nothing but a roof for shelter, and two closed sides that would not keep him dry, or out of the wind. There was a bench, but it didn't really protect him either. But given how wet he already was, there wasn't much point in trying to get dry. So he simply sat on the bench and huddled into himself, wondering when the weather was going to clear enough for him to escape, because that was easier to think about than how painfully his heart was breaking.  
  


* * *

  
"We're really bad at this, aren't we?"  
  
Greg's voice broke the silence, and Alex wasn't expecting Greg to find him, but then, he wasn't that far from the hide, and Greg could probably see him anyway and knew where he was. It wouldn't have taken him long to get here. Alex looked up to find Greg walking up to him, clearly as wet as he was. Alex sat up, and shifted along the bench as Greg sat down next to him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Look at us. We're wet and cold and we can't even have a proper grown-up conversation about being in love because you don't believe anything I say and I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I've had relationships before, this isn't new to me, but somehow I can't talk to you without getting everything wrong. I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't mean to hurt you by saying I was going to leave, but I did hurt you, and I'm sorry. You were right to yell at me for that. And you're so used to me putting you down and rejecting you that nothing I say feels true to you, even though it is. You can't tell, and maybe I never thought that would be a problem because I thought we'd be able to separate things, but clearly we can't. Maybe this should just be a sex thing. Maybe that's easier than trying to sort out this complicated mess of a relationship," Greg said.  
  
Alex shifted close to him and Greg brought an arm around him. They were both cold and shivering, but Alex didn't care. He still wanted to be with him. That was why it hurt so much when he was rejected. "But-but you don't want that and neither do I. I love you, Greg, I always will. How do we make this last?"  
  
"We keep doing Taskmaster until we die?" Greg joked.  
  
Alex did laugh at that, because he wouldn't mind that. "Well, that won't be very long f-for you will it, daddy? You're already very old."  
  
"Oi!" Greg cuffed him gently across the back of his head.  
  
"Sorry, daddy," Alex said, sounding more sorry than he was.  
  
"I don't know, I try to be serious, and out comes my little boy instead. At least try to be mature about this, Alex," Greg said.  
  
"That's rich coming from the silliest man I know," Alex teased. "This is half your fault as much as it's mine."  
  
"I mean, that's a fair point." Greg sighed, laughed a little, and brought Alex into a tight hug. "Should we just, I don't know, carry on regardless and see how things go?"  
  
"I thought you said we needed to talk about this. Why did that kiss make you fall in love with me anyway? It was hardly a magnificent kiss, was it?" Alex said.  
  
"It wasn't that. That kiss didn't make me fall in love with you, it made me realise I'd fallen for you already, I'd just been too proud, or scared, really, to acknowledge it. Too many, you know..." Greg gestured vaguely at his head, sighed, gave up trying to find the words he wanted.  
  
"Bad memories?" Alex offered, unsure it was even the right answer, because he didn't really understand why Greg felt so ashamed about these things. Well, no, in a broad sense, he knew, but he still felt he didn't really understand.  
  
"Something like that. It's not like I've never been with men before, but it was always just sex, that's all I could handle. And then you came along and stole my heart, and I knew you didn't want me to love you, not really, you wanted me to be mean, not kind, that's what the Taskmaster does to you, he keeps you at a distance, so I ignored my feelings instead. Well, until you kissed me, and then that proved impossible. It just never occurred to me that you wouldn't believe me when I told you I loved you, but of course that's so obvious to me now. I should've been a better master to you," Greg said.  
  
"No, it's not just your fault. I should've said something, not just run away from it. I-I thought - if you loved me - you'd stop being mean to me, and I'd lose the one thing I really love about our relationship. And I should've said that earlier, not right now, not when things are like this. I'm sorry. I was just scared I'd ruin everything, and I don't, I don't want to lose you," Alex said.  
  
"Please, I'm never going to stop being mean to you, you little shit, I enjoy it too much," Greg said, his voice filled with gentle teasing and love. "Look, your wife's right, we both know we're in love with each other. We can't just go back to this just being a sex thing, not anymore. So why don't we just embrace this and see where it goes? You never know, maybe this'll actually make the show better."  
  
Alex sat up and looked at him. "Do you really think this'll make the show better? How?"  
  
"Every series, it's been better, Alex. The more we get to know each other, the more we know how to wind each other up. It makes it work. Why wouldn't being in love make it better too? I hurt you because I love you, because it's what you love me doing to you. I can just make it better now. It can be the kind of pain you really love, not just my wild guesses. That's how this works. You get better at knowing what pleases me, and I get better at knowing how to hurt you in just the right way. Taskmaster has always been as much about the evolution of our relationship as it is about watching comedians doing silly things. Look, we've got the studio sessions for series eight in a month or so. That should prove to you how much better things will be now, yeah?" Greg said.  
  
"Alright, sure, We'll - we'll see how that goes. Maybe... can I give you an answer then?" Alex said.  
  
Greg gently cupped his cheek. "I mean, you can if you like, but let's be real here. You love me. You've always loved me. Everything you've ever done for me you did because you love me. It's never just been a sex thing for you, and I never thought it was. You can't have just a sex thing when one person's already in love. And the way you love, Alex, it's just infectious. You melted this scared, bruised little heart of mine and filled it with love. And I was scared of that for a long time, because I couldn't fathom why you'd love me so strongly when you didn't know me. I thought you'd hate who I am if I ever let you get close to me. But that didn't happen. I fell in love instead. And I didn't mean to, I know it's not what you wanted, but I couldn't help it, you're just like that, Alex."  
  
Greg touched their foreheads together, and Alex reached over to touch his cheek, sensing he needed a little comfort. For the first time that day, Alex was beginning to realise Greg was being serious. He could hear it in his voice.  
  
"Fuck, Alex, I don't know how much clearer I can be. I love you, you stupid boy. I love you. How many times do I need to say it before you believe me?" Greg said.  
  
Greg caught his gaze then, and Alex could do nothing but stare into his eyes. They were so close, and Alex could feel ... something between them. He was honestly still parsing everything Greg had said, that somehow he'd made Greg fall in love with him, and he didn't really know what to do with that thought. But all he really instinctively wanted to do was kiss him. It was that sort of a moment, really. The one where they kiss, and suddenly, that fixes everything, and they fall madly in love. Except, they were already in love with each other. Oh. _Oh. They were already in love with each other._  
  
"Oh. Oh no," was all Alex managed to say before Greg leaned in and kissed him.  
  
That kiss told Alex everything he needed to know. And he felt it, _really felt it_, then. The only time he'd ever felt anything similar was when Rachel accepted his proposal and agreed to marry him. And this moment was nothing like on that scale at all, but that's what he felt. Greg's sweetness didn't feel wrong anymore. It felt right. And this time, when Alex gave himself to Greg, he really surrendered completely. There was no holding back anymore because he knew Greg wasn't holding back either. He could feel it. Their chemistry had always been pretty strong, but now it felt unbreakable.  
  
"Convinced yet?" Greg murmured, gently brushing his cheek with his thumb.  
  
"God, yes. I'm so sorry for not believing you, I just-"  
  
Greg broke him off with another kiss, and then, before Alex really understood what was happening, Greg had grabbed him by the front of his coat and pulled him to his feet, pushing him back until he was up against one of the gazebo pillars. There was another kiss, this one fiercer than the last, and Alex simply let Greg do what he wanted, which in this case, was to grab his wrists and hold them above his head while he tied them to the pillar with an admittedly wet scarf.  
  
"There, that oughta keep you still," Greg said, his voice a low growl against his neck.  
  
Alex was already so turned on now, and not just because Greg was being rough with him. He was also doing this in public. If anyone came down that trail, they'd see this. There was nowhere to hide. The thrill of experiencing that for the first time was greater than he'd ever imagined, and he loved it.  
  
Greg simply filled his vision now as he pressed against him. Alex could feel very clearly just how into him Greg was, because he could feel his cock pressing into him, and that just made him harder. He wanted to get his hands on it, his mouth on it, just anything to get to pleasure that beautiful cock, but he couldn't. He was entirely at Greg's mercy, and it felt incredible. It was the first time Greg had tied him up and Alex wanted to be tied up every time now. He loved feeling so powerless, to be made to simply accept anything Greg wanted to do to him. He was powerless to stop him unzipping his coat and the jacket he had on underneath, and sure, he was wet and cold, but Greg's hands were lifting up his shirt and exposing his bare skin as his fingers started pinching him, and the pain was glorious.  
  
"Yeah, you like it when I hurt you, don't you?" Greg said as he roughly shoved a hand down his trousers, and Alex bucked against him, not expecting any of this. "What kind of pain do you really like, Alex? Do you like this?"  
  
Alex gasped as he felt Greg's nails dug into his hard cock, and he honestly didn't know what to say because his brain wasn't quite keeping up and couldn't quite believe this was happening.  
  
"Oh, God," Alex breathed.  
  
"Yes, call me God, you little fucker. I am your God, and I expect to be worshipped," Greg said before biting down on his neck.  
  
Alex squirmed, made an embarrassing noise. And then those nails began moving up the sides of his chest, digging in, scratching, pinching, and then down his back, and Alex felt like he was being mauled by some kind of animal.  
  
"God, I really want to just turn you around and spank you, but maybe I'll just make you wait. After all," Greg stopped to check the time, "we should probably head back and dry off before I take you out for lunch. But before I do that, just one more thing."  
  
Alex had a million things going through his head, and all of them vanished as he saw Greg kneel before him, undo his trousers, and take his cock out. And then he couldn't think at all because Greg took his cock into his mouth and just slowly rolled his tongue over him, and Alex wasn't sure he could hang on. But then he didn't even have enough time to think about hanging on because as soon as it had started, it was over, and Greg was untying his hands to release him, and his cock was suddenly freezing as the cold air hit his hot, wet skin. That was one way to deal with an erection though.  
  
"Go on, dress yourself up, you tart, you have to go home and change, I'm not taking you out like that," Greg said.  
  
Alex hated, _absolutely hated_, Greg's teasing, because it was always so very effective. He was so on edge, barely able to think, and now he was half-undressed and the cold air was really digging in now, and that was the only thing that jolted him out of his confusion and made him dress properly.  
  
"Oh, yes, of course, I'm so sorry," Alex said, as if it was all his fault he was like this, and not Greg's.  
  
"Come on, let's get you warmed up," Greg said, bringing and arm around his shoulders as he led him back into the woods to take him home.  
  


* * *

  
Alex was secretly glad no one was home when they got there. They took their shoes and socks off before heading inside, not wanting to leave a wet mess everywhere as Alex led him upstairs to change. That had been the plan, at any rate. But as soon as they were inside his bedroom, and the door was closed, all Alex wanted to do was kiss him. Which he did. Which took Greg by surprise to see Alex being so bold.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just - I got a little excited," Alex said, blushing, turning away from him as he peeled his wet clothes off and threw them into the bathroom.  
  
"Fine with me. I'm never going to tire of your sweet kisses, Alex," Greg said.  
  
Alex turned back to him, not expecting him to say anything like that. "Do you actually like my kisses, or are you just saying that? I know I'm not very good at it. Kissing, I mean."  
  
"Of course I like your kisses, Alex. Now, come on, get in the shower, I gotta warm you up, don't I?" Greg said, and there was something in his voice that made Alex shiver.  
  
"Y-yes, sir," Alex stammered as he watched Greg undress.  
  
They had absolutely seen each other naked before, but somehow seeing it here, in his bedroom, in the broad daylight, it was kind of overwhelming. Greg just suddenly looked overwhelmingly beautiful, and Alex couldn't cope with that wave of emotion, and not just because he simply wanted to fall to his knees before him and take care of that beautiful cock.  
  
"_Oh_," Alex breathed, unable to stop himself staring.  
  
Greg smirked. "Oh, like what you see, hey?"  
  
"You're just so beautiful, sir," Alex said.  
  
"Yeah, I am, aren't I? Now, come on, get a move on, we've got lunch to go to, remember?" Greg said, walking towards him.  
  
"Oh, yes, of course, sorry sir," Alex said, letting Greg push him back into the bathroom.  
  
Alex simply let him take over at that point. Greg ran a shower for him, and Alex stood under the hot water eagerly, allowing it to warm himself up. Under different circumstances, perhaps he would have told Greg to let him shower alone, but he didn't. Greg held him close, and washed him down, and at one point, brought him into his arms, and Alex stood there, cuddling him under the hot water, and it filled his heart with love.  
  
"Please. Please let me kneel for you, sir. To-to thank you," Alex murmured. He didn't really know why he was asking. He knew he had to wait. But he'd never wanted it this badly before.  
  
Greg stroked his hair and brought him into a kiss, a soft kiss that lingered and teased in ways Alex just didn't know how to do.  
  
"Alright, you can kneel. I can feel how much you want to do it. But don't get me off, I've got plans for us after lunch back at my flat, so be a good boy and hold off till then, yeah?" Greg said.  
  
"Yes, of course, thank you, sir, thank you so much," Alex breathed, his knees folding under him now that he had permission to kneel.  
  
He loved this position. He didn't care how hard the tiles were. He didn't care if this hurt his knees. All he cared about was being able to be close to that cock. He was beginning to appreciate him in new ways now, seeing him with the eyes of a lover, and he simply spent a moment breathing in his master's scent, gently stroking the length of it and pressing soft kisses to the tender skin. He'd never really been allowed to worship his cock before, but that's all he wanted to do now.  
  
For the first time, he was able to really enjoy just how full his mouth felt with that cock in it, to revel in the tastes and smells and the feel of his skin. To really spend time getting to know him without feeling like he was being rushed. Greg gently held his head, stroking his hair softly, and Alex adored his tenderness. Unlike that night a year ago, when he knelt at his feet after Greg told him he loved him, this time, he really believed it, and he just wanted to stay here forever. This was where he belonged.  
  
"I just love you so much," Alex whispered against his skin, and the emotion behind those words, as Alex said them, threatened to overwhelm him and make him cry. He always dreamed that one day, Greg would love him back, but he never imagined it would ever happen. The fact that it had was almost too much to bear.  
  
"I know you do, Alex. I love you, too," Greg said.  
  
Alex hadn't wanted to cry. He was trying so hard not to cry. But the warmth and genuine love in Greg's voice as he said that he loved him was too much in that moment, and he just let the tears fall as the water washed them away. There were too many emotions that he just couldn't name, all swirling around inside him all at once. He almost felt like he was drowning, but then Greg gently took his arms and lifted him to his feet and the way he just held him close and stroked his head as he calmed him down was comforting beyond measure.  
  
"Hey, hey, no, don't cry, it's alright, you're alright, Alex," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, I know, Greg, these are happy tears, not sad ones," Alex said. "I just never thought this day would ever happen. It's all just a little overwhelming."  
  
Greg kissed him softly. "Aww, you're such a sap, Alex. Look at you, all crying with joy because I told you I love you. You're not going to get like this every time I say it, are you?"  
  
"Oh, well, maybe not every time," Alex said, understanding Greg's gentle teasing.  
  
Greg laughed, taking a moment to wipe the water away from Alex's eyes with his thumb. "Just don't cry while we're at lunch, and we'll be fine, yeah? Save that for when we get home."  
  
"Oh, are you going to make me cry again?" Alex said, almost shivering in anticipation at what kind of pain that might end up bringing.  
  
"Yeah, I am, and that's all I'm going to tell you. But what I did want to ask, before we head into town, is whether I can try something with you at lunch today," Greg said.  
  
Alex looked up at him, intrigued by what he meant. He couldn't think of anything Greg might want to do with him at lunch. "Try something with me? Like what?"  
  
"I want to feed you. Not, like, to fatten you up, just to watch you enjoy food I've picked out for you. Would you let me do that with you?" Greg said.  
  
Alex looked confused, wondering why Greg felt he needed to ask his permission to feed him. Isn't that what lovers do anyway? How was that weird? "When you say 'feed me', do you mean, like...? I don't understand."  
  
"I want to feed you. I want you to kneel at my side and I'll feed you. I choose what you eat, and you'll obediently eat it all until we're done, yeah? How does that sound?" Greg said.  
  
"Oh, like-like eating off your hands like a dog? That kind of thing?" Alex said, weird images drifting through his head that he wasn't necessarily turned off by.   
  
"You can eat off my hands if you like. I wasn't going to require it if it would feel too weird for you. I did book us a private room though, so don't worry about anyone seeing you. It'll just you and me, I promise," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, alright, sure. You can feed me if you want. I'll eat off your hands if you want me to. But I'm still confused. What do you get out of it? Why do you want to feed me? Do you get off on it?" Alex said, trying to understand.  
  
Greg simply shrugged. "Something like that. You've got a kneeling thing, I've got a food thing. It's just hard to find anyone willing to really indulge me and let me feed them. A lot of people find it weird."  
  
"Oh, I guess that makes sense. It is a bit weird, but then we're both weird in our own way, aren't we?" Alex said.  
  
"Yeah, we are. Look, we'll stop if it gets too weird for you, but at least try it for a bit, just for me," Greg said.  
  
"Of course, I'll do anything for you," Alex said.  
  
"You're a good boy, Alex," Greg said.  
  
Alex simply blushed. "Thank you, sir."  
  
"Come on, I think you're warm enough now. We'd better get a move on, yeah?" Greg said.  
  
"Yes, please, I am getting a little hungry now," Alex said.  
  
"I thought you might be. Go on, get out, go make yourself decent while I finish off," Greg said, patting Alex's butt playfully as he gestured him out of the shower.  
  
"Yes, sir, right away, sir!" Alex said as he scampered out and left him alone.  
  


* * *

  
There was a moment, before they left to head into London, when Alex remembered the rose he'd left in the car. There was just enough time to fish around for a tall vase to put the rose in, and he left it in his office, just to make it clear that it was his. He made a promise to himself to dry it out and keep it somehow, just so it would last forever as a wonderful reminder of this day.  
  


* * *

  
Alex had never been to this particular restaurant before, which appeared to be some kind of Japanese place. It was a lot smaller than he expected, but looked nice. Greg, however, seemed to have been here before, because they didn't have to wait long before they were being taken back to their private room, which Alex felt was exceedingly naughty, but was something he was quietly appreciative of. He wouldn't have to feel so self-conscious about kneeling for him here, because the table was set low and surrounded by cushions, and looked quite cosy and comfortable.  
  
Alex followed Greg's lead and took his shoes off before he let his master pick where he wanted to sit. Alex could feel a little well of excitement in his belly. Sure, perhaps feeding him wasn't obviously kinky to anyone else, but the fact that they were going to do it in a restaurant, even if no one could technically see them, felt kind of incredible.  
  
"Where do you want me to sit?" Alex asked once Greg had got comfortable.  
  
"Right here next to me where you belong," Greg said, patting the cushion beside him.  
  
"Yes, sir," Alex said and sat down where he'd been told to sit. Then he remembered he was meant to kneel and got up onto his knees instead, hoping this looked more like he was trying to be comfortable and not submissive. Not that he wasn't being submissive, of course, but he was too self-conscious of being obvious about it. He didn't want anyone to know as much as he desperately wanted everyone to know. He didn't know how Greg seemed to get this was a kink of his, but he wasn't willing to question it.  
  
"There you go. I've already ordered what I want for us, so they'll bring it in soon. And don't worry, I won't be feeding you anything gross. That's for the show, not for when we're out together like this. I just want you to eat all the delicious things so I can watch you enjoy them," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, is it a watching thing too, is it?" Alex said, curious about how this would go.  
  
"Yeah, it is a bit. Mostly it's all I can get away with, watching people eat, but it's even better when it's food I've fed to them," Greg said.  
  
Greg took his hands then and just started gently stroking his skin with his thumbs. Alex was sure he was never going to get over Greg being sweet with him like this. There was a second where he caught the way Greg was looking at him, and Rachel was right. Greg did love him. It was obvious when he smiled at him, Alex could see that now.  
  
"My only regret is that I can't be with you all the time. Not that I'd want you to, of course. You've got a family to take care of and I'm used to being on my own. But I'm going to miss you like hell when you're not with me," Greg said.  
  
Alex looked at him, caught his gaze, wondered at the sudden change in conversation, in his mood. But he did understand. He had spent years missing Greg when he wasn't with him. It would be nice to know that he would be missed too.  
  
"Well, then, we'll just have to hang out more often then, won't we?" Alex said, trying to cheer him up. "You can take me on proper dates now."  
  
"Yeah, I can, that'd be lovely. Or maybe I'll just move to Chesham, then I'll be closer to you," Greg said, laughing a little as if it was a joke.  
  
"You wouldn't move, not for me. Would you? No. I mean. People would know why you were moving there, right? Besides, I thought you liked living in London," Alex said, unsure if he was being serious or not.  
  
"I won't lie, I have thought about it, but I don't know. Would you like that? Would you want me to be closer?" Greg said.  
  
"Of course I would. I'd love to have you living closer to me. But I don't want you to uproot your entire life for me. That's not fair on you," Alex said.  
  
"I'd be saying the same to you if you offered to move. At least I'm on my own. I'm not giving up much. Maybe it's too soon to be talking about it, and it's not like I'd ever be moving in, but then again, I'd drive halfway across the country just to see you, if it meant we could spend even half an hour together. I just really want this to work, Alex. I want us to still be a thing when we're not doing a show together. I want to die knowing we still love each other. I want this to be the one relationship I don't manage to fuck up, because that was just one of the many stupid reasons I was so scared to fall in love with you. I didn't want to ruin what we already have," Greg said.  
  
"And I thought I was the only one worried about that. That's nice to know," Alex said.  
  
Greg seemed to laugh to himself. "Yeah, that's why we took a year to talk about this. We were both worried about the same things. I'm sorry I got all serious again, but it might be months before I get to spend a day with you like this, and I want to cherish every single minute we're together."  
  
Greg cupped his cheek then, and Alex leaned into his touch. There was a little desperation in Greg's kiss, but Alex couldn't hate him for it. They'd got used to making the most of their time together, but even Alex knew that wouldn't be enough anymore. He felt Greg's frustration and desire for him as he leant their foreheads together, touching his cheek in such a soft, gentle way.  
  
"No, it won't be months. I won't let it be months, not now. Not anymore," Alex said.  
  
"Then I'd better move to Chesham, hadn't I? Then it won't be months," Greg said.  
  
The sound of the door opening and a waiter coming in with the first of their dishes distracted Greg and he broke away from him, gazing at everything he'd ordered as it was laid out before them.  
  
"Here we go, just what I wanted. Come on, Alex, sit up, it's time to eat," Greg said.  
  
Alex got comfortable and waited while the rest of their food was brought in. When they were alone, Alex settled himself, waiting for Greg to offer him something to eat. He wasn't sure how Greg wanted to feed him, or what he was meant to do, but he'd just take Greg's lead on this, he decided.  
  
"Are you still okay with me feeding you, Alex? I just wanted to check in case you'd changed your mind," Greg said.  
  
"I'm alright with it, yes. Please, feed me, sir," Alex said.  
  
"Do you really want to eat off my hands?" Greg said.  
  
"I'll eat however you want me to eat, sir," Alex said.  
  
"Alright, well, maybe we'll save the hands for a little later, but for now, here, have a taste of that," Greg said, carefully taking a spoonful of what looked like some kind of rice dish.  
  
Alex kept his gaze firmly on Greg as he accepted the food. He felt Greg would want that. It seemed a little strange to be fed this way, but not very strange. Alex wasn't sure why people might find this weird. The dish itself was very tasty as well, and he made sure to thank Greg afterwards once he'd finished eating.  
  
"Good boy. Was that good? Did you enjoy that?" Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded. "Yes, I did. That was very nice."  
  
"That's good. I tried to pick dishes I thought you'd like. I wanted you to enjoy this," Greg said.  
  
"Anything's enjoyable when I'm with you, Greg," Alex said. "I wouldn't mind. You could make me eat anything and it'd still be lovely."  
  
"I mean, don't you tempt me with something like that, because then I really will end up feeding you gross things, just so we're clear on that, Alex," Greg said.  
  
"Perfectly clear, sir," Alex said. He did manage to blush a little. He did rather like the idea of eating whatever Greg wanted him to eat, but best not tempt him. After all, the burnt porn might give Greg bad ideas, and he didn't want that. He was still sure he could taste it sometimes. It was the most awful thing he'd ever been forced to eat. He could already hear Greg's unsympathetic laugh when he found out.  
  
"Can I have some more now, please, sir?" Alex said, hoping to get the bad taste out of his mouth, even though it was mostly just the memory of the awfulness by now.  
  
"Sure," Greg said, and picked out a spoonful of another dish. "Try this one."  
  
The chilli was what Alex noticed first, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was milder than he expected, but combined with what was probably beef, it was actually very nice. The chilli did a great job of getting rid of the burnt taste memory out of his mouth.  
  
"Oh, I like that one," Alex said.  
  
"That's good, I had a feeling that was your kind of thing," Greg said.  
  
"Are you going to eat anything, or is this just you feeding me?" Alex said, not wanting Greg to sit here feeding him first. That didn't feel right to him.  
  
"No, no, I eat while you eat. I mean, there are more kinky ways to do this, with more obedience and begging, if you're interested in that sort of thing, but this will do for now," Greg said.  
  
"What, you'd get me to beg for food like a dog, then?" Alex said.  
  
"I could, if you wanted to. But it's more fun when we're at a proper table. Then you'll be kneeling lower than me. It doesn't work when we're sat next to each other like this," Greg said. "But we could try it later if you want."  
  
"You know how much I love kneeling for you, sir. Kneeling and having you feed me sounds amazing. I'd love to try it," Alex said. He didn't know why it appealed to him, if he was being honest. He suspected it was just a kneeling thing.  
  
Greg shook his head and gave him a look. "Oh, man, just when I think I've found something you won't do, you rise to the challenge. Fucking hell, Alex, you are actually allowed to say no to my stupid ideas!"  
  
Alex smiled back, shyly. "None of your ideas are stupid ideas, sir. That's why I keep saying yes."  
  
Greg playfully swatted his face, not really angry at him. "Idiot. Come on, try one of the dumplings. They're really nice."  
  
Alex watched him pick up one of the dumplings and offer it to him on his hand. Carefully, Alex ate from his hand, enjoying the food as much as he enjoyed licking his master's hand clean afterwards, because he didn't want to leave anything behind. He might have done some teasing of his own then, because he'd never really been allowed to suck on his fingers before, but from the noises Greg was making, he was clearly enjoying it. And then, almost without warning, Greg pulled his hand away, and Alex pretended to look sorry.  
  
"Fuck, I didn't say you could suck my fingers, Alex!" Greg said.  
  
Alex looked up at him with his big innocent eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, but you didn't say I couldn't. You know how much I like having you in my mouth, sir."  
  
"Yeah, I do love your mouth very much, but, Jesus. Save the finger sucking for when we're at home. You're far too good at that," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, was it turning you on too much, sir?" Alex said, feigning innocence.  
  
"It was, actually, now that you make a point of mentioning it. I'm the one who's meant to be doing the teasing. Besides, I thought you were hungry," Greg said.  
  
"I am. I'm hungry for you," Alex said, absolutely pushing his luck, enjoying just how wound up Greg was getting.  
  
Greg just gave him a stern look then, and Alex got the distinct impression he'd crossed a line. "Give me your left hand."  
  
Alex obeyed. Greg's tone signalled punishment, Alex knew that all too well, but he wasn't going to talk back. This was meant to be a good day, after all. A happy day. He let Greg take his hand and bite each of his fingers - hard enough to feel, but gentle enough not to break skin - before he let go of his hand. The pain was noticeable, but bearable. A warning to behave himself.  
  
Alex bowed his head. "Thank you, sir. I'm sorry, sir. I'll behave myself, I promise."  
  
"You'd better, or I'll draw blood next time. Now sit there and eat, alright? I didn't want to punish you today, you know, but you just couldn't help yourself, could you? Jesus Christ. I'm the only one who's allowed to be an awful tease all day, you minge," Greg said, and his tone was more a playful chiding than angry, which Alex noticed.  
  
Alex let a small smile cross his lips, hopefully small enough that Greg didn't notice it. "Yes, sir, of course, sir."  
  
"Go on, tuck in. There'll be time to play later, yeah? I'd rather eat before all this gets cold," Greg said.  
  
Alex had to agree. He was definitely hungry, and those three little tastes had only served to make him hungrier. Perhaps being fed by Greg wasn't going to be the point of this meal, but Alex didn't mind. Any time he shared with Greg was worth it. He noticed Greg offered him an apologetic little smile and gently touched his hand as Alex began filling his plate with food. He smiled back, understanding. That was how they loved, after all, with pleasure and pain in equal measure.  
  


* * *

  
Alex felt the breath knocked from him as Greg shoved him hard against the door, kissing him with a ferocity that he hadn't expected. He honestly didn't really know what kind of sex they were going to have, but he adored the roughness with which Greg was tearing his clothes off in between hard kisses and bites, his hands too eager to stop now.  
  
And then, without much more warning, Greg pulled him over to the nearest thing he could lean him against and spanked him hard. Alex knew this was his punishment from earlier in the woods, but he didn't really mind. The pain was beautiful, and he could tell, from the way Greg had hit him, that he was only half-serious about it anyway. It was the way his hands were teasing him and squeezing his cheeks and just ever so slightly brushing his fingers across his anus. This was as much foreplay as it was punishment.  
  
"Come with me, boy. We're just getting started," Greg said, growling in his ear.  
  
Alex shivered, and let Greg pull him into the bedroom. Alex slipped very easily into subspace as Greg ordered him to kneel, and he closed his eyes for a moment as Greg slipped a blindfold over his eyes.  
  
"I know a lot of the sex we've had has mostly been about me getting off, but that's not what I want today. It's not what I want from you today, either. I want you to enjoy this as much as I do, so I'm going to tie you up and tease you mercilessly for hours. You're not going to serve me today. You're simply going to lie there and take it, and you'll only come when I say you can, so get prepared to be hard for a long time, boy," Greg said.  
  
"Oh. That sounds incredible, sir," Alex said, because it did.  
  
"Oh, it will be," Greg said, and the growl in his voice sent shivers down Alex's spine.  
  
The blindfold really helped Alex just surrender, and he simply let Greg pull him to his feet and bind his hands before he lay him down on the bed on his back. There were other bindings, but Alex was simply aware of rope more than anything else, bindings that left him pretty much bound and immobile and utterly naked. Utterly at Greg's mercy. Something about that feeling soothed him. He didn't need to think now. He just had to lie there and let Greg do whatever he wanted. _Yes. Yesyesyes._ This was how he managed to clear his mind of everything. All his worries drifted away. All the stress and tension left his body. All he had to do was feel, and experience, and that was easy. Surrendering was easy. Surrendering was what he lived for.  
  
The first thing he noticed about his bindings was that Greg seemed to know what he was doing. They also weren't so tight they would leave bruises on his skin. He knew that from experience, because Rhod always had to tie him up too tightly. Explaining those bruises to his wife had been ... interesting. But at least that was for the show, he could handwave that. This was different. Something about being tied up by Greg like this turned him on in ways he didn't quite understand, but wasn't willing to question. It helped him surrender as much as the blindfold did because he couldn't move. He was being forced to take this, and that was fine with him.  
  
The very first thing Greg did was take his cock into his mouth, and Alex simply gasped, because he had never expected Greg to do that to him. His tongue was licking him all over, in swirls and lines and circles, his fingers stroked and squeezed and pinched his balls, teasing him very easily into an erection. Greg sucked hard on him, and then, just when Alex was beginning to be able to think clearly again, Greg pulled away, and all Alex felt then was a ring - soft, something that felt like leather with snaps on it perhaps - being put around his dick and balls, and then he understood just how much of a tease this was going to be.  
  
"And just because I don't want you speaking and ruining my work, I'm going to gag you. Is that alright?" Greg said.  
  
"Yes, sir," Alex said. He didn't really need it, if he was honest. If Greg wanted silence, he simply had to order him not to speak, and he wouldn't.  
  
"I know this is the first time we've done this, but don't worry, it's just a small ball gag. You should be fine with that. But shake your head if you need me to remove it, yeah? I'm not into breathplay, so I don't want you just sitting there suffocating on me, alright? If you're struggling, let me know immediately and I'll remove it," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, yes, sure, I can do that," Alex said, not expecting Greg to give him an out. When he thought about it more clearly, and not in the middle of sex, Alex was conscious of the fact that they probably under-negotiated a lot of what they did together, but it all just felt so good, Alex couldn't imagine saying no to anything Greg wanted to do to him. If it made Greg happy, he was happy. That was enough for him.  
  
The gag was a small one, Alex noted, as Greg slipped it into his mouth. It was squishier than he'd imagined though, and it had some give in it. It would keep him quiet, but if he opened his mouth a little, he could still breathe a bit through it if he needed to. Mostly, he was just grateful it wasn't gaffer tape and an egg.  
  
"Good boy. Does that feel alright?" Greg said, checking the buckle at the back.  
  
Alex nodded. It was fine. The buckle was unobstrusive enough that it wouldn't hurt his head now that he was lying down.  
  
"You sure? It's not too tight, is it?" Greg said, clearly wanting to be sure.  
  
Alex shook his head and gave a thumbs up with both hands, hoping that was enough to convey that he was fine and the gag was alright.  
  
"Alright, you just hang tight and I'll begin," Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded and waited for Greg to begin, closing his eyes under the blindfold. Greg didn't leave the room, Alex could hear his footsteps, feel how he moved around the room and then get on the bed with him, and then the next sensation he felt was like little hot spots of wax dripping onto his legs. At least, he assumed it was wax. He'd heard the click of a lighter. So there had to be a flame involved somewhere.  
  
He'd never done wax play before. He was sure there was a lot of this he hadn't done before. It did hurt, but it was a weird temporary kind of pain. The wax cooled almost instantly, so there was all these little hot spikes of pain that then went away immediately.  
  
It was different, though, when Greg dripped a stripe of wax down his thigh. That pain lasted a lot longer, and he felt a little heat sink into his skin. And then Greg picked the wax off, and the pain that came from presumably losing leg hair to the wax hurt a hell of a lot more. He did his best to remain silent, though a few little moans did escape, and earnt him painful pinches on the very inner skin of his thighs, right near his cock.  
  
Alex could at least trace the progression of the wax. It moved from his legs up to his torso and even down his arms. All these little pinpricks of pain. He idly wondered what colour candle he was using and therefore what colour wax he was being covered with.  
  
Greg biting his neck pulled him out of his thoughts, and he kind of hoped he wasn't going to leave bruises where they could be seen, because he didn't really want anyone to see them, and then question what on earth he was getting up to. But the pain was glorious. He didn't know why he loved pain so much, but he did. His hard cock was a testament to that.  
  
After that, the sensations kind of blended into each other. Alex decided Greg must be using a few different things at once. There was definitely something cold and wet, possibly ice, trailing all over his skin and particularly between his legs, but then there was definitely a flogger making his skin red. It wans't a soft one, either. Leather or rope, perhaps, with knotted ends, that were both kind of stingy and thuddy and hurt like hell in all the right ways. He was sure his legs would be covered in bruises.  
  
Every so often, Greg would reach down and grab his cock roughly, and it always made Alex harden up if he was flagging a little. Not that he minded. His cock wasn't a perfect indicator of his arousal, because he was absolutely turned on anyway, no matter what. The pain was so wonderful. Every little moment of pain just brought so much pleasure.  
  
The sharp strike of what felt like a riding crop hitting his cock sparkled majestically through his body. It sounded worse than it actually was, and it made him hard, which he wasn't expecting.  
  
"That got your attention, didn't it? Did you like that?" Greg said, gently tapping his cock with the crop, just to keep him going.  
  
Alex nodded as eagerly as he could. He never imagined that would feel so good, but it absolutely did. It was like a direct shock of pain right to his cock, and he adored how it felt. It felt even more intense when Greg hit his balls. The cock ring was keeping him sort of constricted, and he could feel the way his genitals reacted to the pain and how the cock ring was ever so slightly cutting into his skin. It wasn't uncomfortable or too tight though. It much more pleasant than that. It almost felt like Greg was constantly squeezing him, keeping him hard while he tormented him. And yet, there was enough slack that he could go soft a bit and it still felt wonderfully close around him.  
  
"You're such a pain slut, aren't you? Fuck, you'll take anything I throw at you, won't you?" Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded vigorously. He desperately wanted to. He wanted to take all the pain for Greg. It didn't matter what kind of pain. He'd take it all for him, if that's what he wanted.  
  
Greg slapped his thigh with the crop then, and that was a bit more of a shock. The crop gave him sharp little shocks of pain that were more jagged than anything else. His skin stung, and the pain sort of radiated, but it didn't always feel like it was lightning going straight to his cock. It meandered its way there instead. But it still felt very nice. It made his muscles quiver in a very pleasant way.  
  
Alex sort of lost track of everything after that. After God knows how long of Greg teasing him with pain, cold, heat, and his nails gently digging and scratching at his skin, Alex found himself being untied, and the gag was removed as he was turned over onto his stomach as Greg moved him into the position he wanted to tie him into in next.  
  
He was sort of kneeling, sort of bowing, his legs spread wide enough so that Greg could tease and play with his butt, with supportive cushions to make sure he was comfortable and not going to suffocate while he was bound and unable to move; he wasn't gagged this time for this very reason. Alex felt very much more exposed this way. He was open, he could tell, and he knew what was coming next, even if he didn't know what those specific things were just yet. But this was definitely going to bring pain and sex, and Alex was very much looking forward to it.  
  
Greg started slow by simply fingering his anus, stretching him gently and lubing him up. Greg's hands weren't exactly small, after all. Three fingers was a lot. And then there were four, and Alex gasped, wondering just how much he was going to be stretched. He felt very full, and very strange.  
  
"I bet you couldn't take my whole hand," Greg said, his voice just begging Alex to challenge him to do just that.  
  
Alex wasn't going to take the bait though. He wasn't sure he wanted to think about that. "A-are you going to try?"  
  
"Do you want me to?" Greg said.  
  
Greg was moving his fingers in and out, thrusting a little, and it did feel kind of good, but Alex wasn't sure he could take Greg's entire hand. At least, not just yet. He wasn't sure he wanted that.  
  
"N-no, not yet, please?" Alex said, his voice raising an octave as Greg brushed his fingers against his prostate.  
  
Greg laughed softly. "Alright, we won't try that yet. But I'm still going to fuck around with your butt some more. You're not quite ready for me yet."  
  
"Oh, God," was all Alex managed to say as Greg pulled his fingers out.  
  
Alex was expecting some more teasing with his fingers, or perhaps with a dildo, but that's not what happened. Suddenly, he was being paddled with something, and the sudden shock of pain took him by surprise.  
  
Alex couldn't tell what exactly he was being paddled with, but it was solid and thuddy and it _hurt_. The pain really began to build up now, and it was making his body sing. He loved this feeling. The sheer rush of just being hurt, and being hurt _by Greg_, it was such a thrill.  
  
It did nothing to kill his arousal either. If anything, it made it stronger. He knew he must be so weird to get off on this, but that's what it felt like. The pain in his cheeks was radiating outwards, and it hit his dick constantly. It felt like an adrenalin rush, endorphins flooding his body and making him feel amazing. It felt so amazing that as the pain began to crescendo, and reach what he felt was close to his limits, he didn't know if he was about to cry because it hurt so much, or because he was just so genuinely joyful that Greg could do this for him and make him feel so amazing.  
  
But that wasn't the end of it. Just as he was getting used to the paddle, the flogger returned, and now his back was being flooded with pain. He'd been waiting for that, if he was honest. His back had been aching in anticipation, and now the pain was calming him down. He loved the thuddy weight of the flogger and how the pain settled throughout his back and down his spine. It felt so wonderful. It was the kind of catharsis he adored, and never got to experience as often as he really needed it.  
  
The catharsis and the adrenalin from the rush of pain was beginning to get overwhelming. This was when all his emotions just flooded to the surface. That was what made him cry so much. He didn't really cry easily, but he did when he was hurt in just the right way. It was like the pain gave him permission to let everything go, and he could feel the blindfold getting wet now as tears welled in his eyes and soaked into the fabric.  
  
What tipped him over the edge into proper crying was Greg unbinding his hands from the bed and pulling him up into a kneeling position by grasping his head, and paddling him harder, and Alex couldn't hold the tears back anymore. His only regret was that he was still blindfolded, so his master couldn't see his pretty tears.  
  
Greg seemed to notice this, and for a moment, he removed the blindfold so he could lick and kiss his tears away, holding him close so he didn't fall down. Alex kept his eyes semi-closed, if only because he was crying, and just let Greg hold and comfort him.  
  
"Told you I'd make you cry," Greg said gently.  
  
Alex wanted to respond, but his voice got lost in his throat. A weak, "Thank you," was all he managed to say, whispered against Greg's shoulder. He couldn't even hold him back because his hands were tied together.  
  
Greg cupped his face and kissed him softly. "Please, I'm not even done with you yet. You're going to come so hard you'll be crying for me to make it stop."  
  
Alex shivered at that thought. But that was all the reprieve he was given. Greg put the blindfold back on him and gently got him back into position again, making sure he was comfortable and willing to keep going, which Alex was more than happy to consent to. He felt incredble already and Greg wasn't even done yet! He couldn't imagine how much more he would experience by the time he was allowed to come.  
  
Greg started again slowly, spending a moment teasing his cheeks, spanking him hard, and fingering his butt again, clearly prepping him for sex. And then, Greg moved over him, hovering over him, his head so very close to his ear, as the pain settled all through Alex's body in a very warm and pleasant way.  
  
"Now, my little slut, how do you want to come today? Do you want me to fuck you into the bed? Or should I suck you off until you come so hard you go blind? Or maybe I'll just whip your little cock with that crop again and make you come that way, hmm?" Greg said.  
  
Alex loved all of those suggestions, if he was being honest. He didn't know which one he wanted the most. Any of them would do.  
  
"You're my master. You choose," Alex said.  
  
"That's not an option today, Alex. This is _your_ choice today, not mine. How do you want me to make you come?" Greg said.  
  
Alex didn't have a clue. And then he said, "Whip my cock," before he'd really decided that's what he wanted, and once he realised how much he wanted it, he wasn't going to take it back. He'd made up his mind. He wanted to know what that kind of orgasm would feel like.  
  
"Ha! Well. I'd better get you ready for that, hadn't I? I've got one more devilish little toy for you if that's what you want," Greg said.  
  
Alex loved and hated that, and braced himself for what was coming next. Greg moved off the bed, and Alex waited until he returned, where he untied him and lay him down on his back again and propped his arse up under a pillow. The cock ring was removed, but it was replaced by another one, this one felt like a different material, and there was something bulky now sitting on the top of the shaft. Oh. Oh. It was a vibrating cock ring. _Fuck_. But that wasn't all. Greg also had a vibrating butt plug, Alex discovered, as Greg lubed him up and slowly pushed it inside him. A whole new wave of pleasure washed over him, and he was now so rock hard it hurt. And then the whipping began, and the pain intensified.  
  
The first strike felt so strong, but the vibrator was doing all kinds of things to his dick as well. But then Alex didn't really have time to get used to it, or to figure out what was going on, before he was hit again. Greg wasn't hitting him hard either; he didn't need to. A light tap was more than enough, along with the vibrator, to get Alex all worked up. He could feel his orgasm building, but Greg hadn't told him to come yet, so he hung on, waiting for permission.  
  
"This isn't a marathon, Alex. Just let yourself come whenever you're ready. Just enjoy the sensations for what they are and let them do the work," Greg said.  
  
"I'll try to, sir, thank you," Alex said, flinching a little as he was hit again.  
  
He did his best to surrender. To simply lie there his legs spread, doing nothing more than feeling Greg whipping his cock and balls with the crop while the vibrators did their worst. Greg even turned up the speed on the butt plug for a moment, and it made his head spin. Eventually, he figured out how to let go, and just gave in to all the pain and all the pleasure building up between his legs.  
  
Greg tapping the head of his cock with the crop was what threw him over the edge. It was a weirdly painful sensation, in a weirdly pleasant way, jarring, but amazing. And it brought with it the last thing he needed to tip him over the edge into orgasm, and he cried out, overwhelmed by everything he was feeling in that moment. He'd never come that hard before and it shocked him. Because the vibrator on the cock ring was just making it keep going, and he'd never come like that before, either.  
  
But before he could cope with that, Greg closed his mouth around his cock and sucked hard, and Alex wax crying again, almost sobbing with pain, his mind overwhelmed by sensation. He couldn't think. All he knew was pleasure and pain, and an orgasm that was _still going on_ and that was before Greg removed the buttplug, untied his legs, and shifted him so he could push inside him, and Alex lost his mind at that point.  
  


* * *

  
It was strange to feel nothing. Well, nothing except exhaustion. Deep, bone-weary exhaustion. Alex lay in Greg's arms, barely aware of his fingers running through his hair, utterly content, but totally spent.  
  
Greg fed him a little. Nothing substantial, just a few leftover dumplings from lunch to ground him and fill him up and help him come out of subspace. And this time, Alex was allowed to suck his fingers and lick them clean, and he adored that. He wouldn't mind being fed by Greg if he got to suck his fingers.  
  
It was quiet. The world existed outside, of course. Alex could hear it. But he didn't care. The sounds of London weren't important. Nothing else was important except lying in the arms of his master, letting him take care of him after such a wonderful day.  
  


* * *

  
It was properly dark outside by the time they roused themselves. Greg had rubbed him down and got most of the deep aches out of his body, and they'd had a cup of tea while they talked about the scene and what worked for them and what didn't. Alex did silently wish he could simply stay here forever, but he knew he couldn't. He didn't live here and neither did his family, and besides which, they had to get home for dinner.  
  
Alex was glad Greg had reminded him to bring some spare clothes. It's not that the ones he'd come back in were particularly dirty, but there was something about showering and getting into clean clothes that helped with his subspace, and he felt a lot more like himself once he was dressed.  
  
Alex had assumed Greg would simply drive him home, but that's not what happened. Alex had been too out of it to really pay attention to what Greg was doing as he recovered, and so when Greg told him they'd be getting the train back so they weren't going to be late, Alex looked at him, surprised, because as far as he was aware, Greg drove everywhere, but in that moment, Alex didn't really know what else to say except agree, even if he didn't understand why.  
  


* * *

  
In some ways, Alex was thankful there were so many people around. They could hide, sort of. But they also didn't blend in, not really, because Greg didn't. It was strange to have a few people come and say hi, because it was so jarring after the fairly private day they'd had together, but all he had to do was defer to Greg the whole time, and that was easy. That's what people expected from him, after all. And when that wasn't happening, Greg was simply making him laugh and telling him stupid stories, and Alex felt a lot better by the time they got home.  
  


* * *

  
It was just after half eleven by the time Greg and Alex got back to the station. Dinner had been wonderful, and they'd spent the rest of the evening talking while trying not to wake the kids up. Alex loved that they all got on so well. It made everything worth it. Just seeing Rachel snuggling up to Greg at one point made him happy. Perhaps someone else would be jealous, but Alex wasn't. How could he feel jealous about that? They were the two people he loved the most. It was beautiful to him, not something to feel jealous about.  
  
But all that was over now, at least for today. Now they were back in the cold and the wet, waiting for the train back to London. They'd just missed the last one, but Alex didn't mind. He'd stay with Greg, he'd wait with him, just so he didn't have to be apart from him too soon. It was also a wonderful excuse to cuddle with him as they waited on the bench in the waiting room, thankfully out of the cold and the rain.  
  
They were alone at the station, at least. No one else was around. Alex wasn't really surprised by that. Outside of peak hours, it was quite a desolate station.  
  
"So, did you enjoy your day?" Greg said.  
  
"I did, yeah. It was wonderful, thank you, Greg," Alex said.  
  
Greg pressed a kiss to his temple. "You're wonderful."  
  
Alex blushed at both the kiss, and the praise. "You're wonderful, too. I'm glad we did this. You made this day perfect."  
  
"See? You just gotta trust me. I'm not going anywhere, Alex. I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to abandon you. Do you believe me when I tell you that now? Do you really know that I love you?" Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded against his chest. "I do, I really do. I'm sorry I didn't believe you before. I'm sorry I didn't say anything when I should have."  
  
"No, it's not your fault. I should have said something too. At least we got there in the end, though. That's worth something, right?" Greg said, trying to be more cheerful.  
  
"We did, yeah. We're boyfriends now, right?" Alex said.  
  
"Yeah, we're boyfriends now," Greg said. "You going to go and tell Rachel everything we got up to when you get home?"  
  
"Oh, yes, of course. She always enjoys hearing about that. I'll show her some of the marks you left on me. She likes that," Alex said.  
  
"Good boy. Make sure you tell her about that cock ring I gave you, too. I'm sure she'll love to play around with that," Greg said.  
  
"I will, sir, I will," Alex said.  
  
Alex tried not to look embarrassed at the reminder, and his cock ached in sympathy, but only in a good way. He hadn't expected Greg would give him that vibrating cock ring, but he had, and he was excited to play around with it now. Rachel would definitely love it, and he couldn't wait to find out how she'd torment him with it.  
  
"Are you still exhausted? I did work you very hard this afternoon," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, yes, just a little, but that's normal, I think. I'm used to it," Alex said.  
  
"Alright, well, you keep an eye on yourself, just in case any of your muscles pull up sore tomorrow. I massaged you well, but you can never really tell until the next day anyway. Text me if you need anything, or if you just want to talk, yeah? That was the most intense thing we've ever done and I don't want you getting too depressed about it once we're apart," Greg said.  
  
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Alex said.  
  
Greg chided him gently. "Subdrop, you idiot."  
  
"Oh. Right. Yeah, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on myself," Alex said, even though he felt fine.  
  
"Hmm, yeah, alright. I mean, I think you'll be fine, but I never quite know with you. God, it's going to be so hard to be away from you now," Greg said. "I just want to be with you all the time now."  
  
"Yeah, me too. Well, you'll just have to move, won't you? Then I can see you all the time," Alex said.  
  
Greg laughed. "Yeah, we'll see about that."  
  
Alex simply cuddled up to him and closed his eyes. He was going to enjoy every moment they had together. Maybe Greg wouldn't move, but he'd find a way to see him as often as he could.  
  
"You made us get the train just so you could sit here with me, didn't you?" Alex said.  
  
Greg smiled. "Well, it is a nice way to end the evening, isn't it? I felt we needed a little space to talk anyway, afterwards, just the two of us, so why not, you know? You don't mind, do you?"  
  
"Oh, no, definitely not," Alex said, and he really didn't mind at all.  
  


* * *

  
The sound of the train approaching made Alex feel a little sad. He didn't want Greg to go, but he wasn't going to stop him, either. It was nearly midnight, and he was really beginning to feel tired now. He needed his bed, as Greg probably did too. They'd both been up far too early for their own good.  
  
"It's okay, we've got a few minutes. We don't need to go out in the rain just yet," Alex said, sitting up.  
  
"Good, because I want to kiss you goodbye, and I'd rather do it in here, thank you very much," Greg said.  
  
"You're going to kiss me? Really? Out here? But there are cameras!" Alex said, unsure if he was trying to panic, or if he was just over-tired and over-excited.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but I thought you liked that kind of thing. Besides, you wouldn't say no to your master, would you?" Greg said.  
  
"Oh, no, that would be bad. I never say no to you," Alex said.  
  
Greg gently touched his cheek and kissed him sweetly, slowly, lingering long enough to make Alex miss him dreadfully when he pulled away from him and stood up.  
  
"Gonna miss you," Greg said, smiling down at him.  
  
Alex got to his feet. "Gonna miss you too."  
  
Greg took his hands and kissed him one more time. "I'd better go get that train, hadn't I? Wouldn't want to get left behind here for another half an hour."  
  
Alex knew he was only teasing, even if the thought of waiting even longer for a train with him did make him happy. "Yeah, you'd better go. I'll text you tomorrow yeah? To let you know how I'm doing?"  
  
"Yeah, you do that. You go home and tell Rachel what I did to you," Greg said.  
  
"Oh, yes, I will, sir," Alex said. "Goodnight, sir."  
  
"Goodnight, Alex. I love you," Greg said.  
  
"Love you too, sir," Alex said.  
  
Greg squeezed his hands once more, brought him into a tight hug, then let him go as he headed outside to the platform. Alex trailed behind him, watching him get on the train. There was no one else on the platform, or boarding the train. It was like they'd sent it just for his master.  
  
_Go home, you idiot, your wife's waiting for you!_, Greg texted as Alex stood there, watching him. 

_But I want to see you off!_, Alex texted back.  
  
Greg got up from his seat - Alex could see him visibly rolling his eyes at him - and peered through the door. "Go home, Alex. Seriously. I'll be fine. I'm a big boy, remember?"  
  
"You sure?" Alex said.  
  
"Yeah, go on, get going. I'll talk to you later, yeah?" Greg said before he disappeared back into the carriage as the doors closed.  
  
"Oh, okay, sure. Goodnight, sir," Alex said, though more softly than before because Greg wasn't there to hear him. He still stood there and watched the train leave, disappearing into the dark night, before he headed out of the station and headed home for the last time.  
  


* * *

  
"I'm glad you finally sorted everything out. I was almost going to do something myself if you didn't. Maybe because this is the first time I've seen you fall in love with someone else, but I didn't realise you'd be so forlorn about it. God, you pine like mad, and it almost drove _me_ mad. I don't remember you being this bad when we were falling in love," Rachel said.  
  
Alex felt a little embarrassed about that as he followed her into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He hadn't realised that about him at all. "Oh. I'm sorry. I don't really remember that, but I'm sorry if I was awful."  
  
She wasn't cross with him, though. Alex knew that from her voice. She did lightly slap his cheek and kiss him though, and Alex just adored her so much.  
  
"Go on, get undressed. Show me what he did to you. He said he marked you beautifully," Rachel said.  
  
"Oh, he did. I still don't really remember half of it, because I was blindfolded, but it was wonderful. He gives me such beautiful pain, Rachel," Alex said as he undressed for her.  
  
"I used to hurt you like that too, remember? Before we had kids, and it didn't matter," Rachel said.  
  
"I know, I remember. I miss that, you know. I love his pain, but I miss yours too," Alex said.  
  
He watched her inspect him, pressing her fingers into all the bruises she could find. The small little bursts of pain made him flinch a little. She made him acutely aware of every single bruise that Greg had left on him, but then that was why he loved doing this. He loved how she would check him over and approve of all the ways he'd been hurt. Sometimes, if they had more time, she'd make him tell her how every mark was made, but she didn't ask for that tonight. They were both too tired for that. He'd just told her all he remembered about the things Greg had done to him before they'd come up here to bed.  
  
"Do you like it?" Alex said.  
  
"I do, yes. He really does leave very nice bruises on you, that's for sure. What kind of flogger did you say he used?" Rachel said.  
  
"Leather or rope, I think, I don't really know. I was kind of too exhausted afterwards to question him about all the toys he used on me. Oh. Speaking of which, there's one in my bag. It's a - he gave me this vibrating cock ring. He thought you might enjoy that," Alex said.  
  
Rachel's face gave away her eagerness. "Oh, he's right about that. Where's your bag? Did it make it up here or is it still downstairs?"  
  
"Downstairs, sorry. I left it by the front door," Alex said.  
  
"Well, you wait there while I retrieve it. I won't have that lying around where the boys might find it in the morning. Go on, kneel for me while I'm gone," Rachel said.  
  
"Yes, mistress," Alex said reverently as he fell to his knees.  
  
She wasn't gone very long, to be fair, but Alex didn't mind. He knelt there, hands resting on his thighs, and subspace was calling, he could feel it on the edge of his mind. He wasn't sure he'd give in again though. He knew he was too tired to play properly, which was arguably all his own fault, but that was beside the point.  
  
She put her arms around him when she returned, kneeling beside him as she kissed his cheek. "I'm going to find a quiet way to hurt you, so I can bruise you up just like your master does. And you're going to wear that cock ring for me, too. Though maybe I'll find one only I can control and then you'll be at my mercy."  
  
"Yes, mistress."  
  
Alex shivered at the desire in her voice. He'd do anything for her, anything at all. He simply allowed her to place the cock ring on his dick again and turn it on, and the sensations just made him hard, particularly because of the memories still fresh in his mind.  
  
"Works like a charm, I see. Good boy. Though I can see he's been tormenting your tiny cock as well. Does it hurt when I squeeze it, Alex? Does it hurt?" Rachel said.  
  
Alex nodded as she did indeed squeeze his cock quite hard. The pleasure from the vibrator collided with the pain in a beautiful way that made him moan softly.  
  
"Maybe I'll make you wear a collar too, hmm?"  
  
She bit down on one of the bruises on his shoulder and he tried so hard not to make a sound as the pain washed through him.  
  
"Get a tiny little collar for your tiny little cock, hmm? I'm so glad you got together with him, Alex. He's giving me so many new ideas to try with you," Rachel said, kissing the bruise she'd just bitten.  
  
"Whatever you want, mistress," Alex said.  
  
She gently turned off and removed the cock ring before she stood up and took his hands. "Come on, come to bed. I want you."  
  
Alex followed obediently as she pulled him into bed and under the sheets, and Alex knew exactly what he had to do. He'd taken care of his master today, and now he got to take care of her. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. 


End file.
